A Thousand Summers
by GoddessofFlaw
Summary: "I didn't believe in heroes until the night you saved me." OCxItachi. Asami and Itachi Uchiha have been inseparable for years, however Asami's loyalty to her clan creates a divide between them and her remaining comrades. Though a supportive friend, secretly he admired her, and yet his emotions are compromised upon his decision to leave Konoha, and Asami sets out to bring him home.
1. Chapter 1

_He loves me_, a blue petal fell, drifting down to the earth. Soon another followed. _He loves me not._

Boys could make little girls a little silly.

The sun of dawn had kissed the horizon farewell long ago, the arc of the moon now amongst the stars in the sky. At a late hour things were beginning to settle; shops were closing and doors went shut as people returned to their beds for the night.

Asami, however, had no intentions on sleeping that night. The young girl was confounded by her thoughts; as any young girl would be she found herself trapped by the mental images of a particular boy. One who showed no definite interest in her, mind you, but a boy no less.

On a very unparticular night, the agile girl crept through the frame of her bedroom window and along the roof tiles, down the support beams and into the backyard. A train of lavender ringlets spread along the moist grass as the tiny girl stepped along, sitting only when she was before the fish pond.

Her eyes fell to the flowers in her grip and she smiled. And so began the adolescent medium that she believed so strongly could determine her fate. Tiny petals pecked the surface of the pond with their softness, one by one, following the chime of her voice. To be or not to be. It is or it isn't. He loves me, he loves me not.

Petal-ridden steps littered the grass beside her leg now, leaving a single lilac to quiver in her grasp.

"He loves me," Her voice knelled. There was but a single petal left. She froze, and the once jubilant girl frowned at what she assumed was her fate. Her finger twitched from apprehension. "He, loves me n- -"

The shift of brush startled her, interrupting her words. Asami lifts her head, immediately attuned to the disturbance of her surroundings. She drops what is left of her flower and stands as the rustling furthers and intensifies.

A darkly-shrouded figure bursts from the bushes and rolls among the grass. Asami takes a spread-legged stance, arms situated as though they were the makings of a bow and arrow. The dark tumbling mass found its way beneath the rays of the moon, and washed away the shadows.

The two boys untangled from each other, grumbling and dusting grass from their outfits. If not for the height difference it normally may have been more difficult to tell who was the oldest. The eldest's visage was defined solely by the lines that indented the inner corners of his eyes, while the other had a head full of rebelling ebony spikes and three-striped gashes upon his brow.

Asami's brows lifted, and her arms fell to her sides. "Itachi? Sasuke-kun?"

Color warmed their faces as they fought to catch their breaths, but still the eldest one managed to smile.

"Oi, Asami," Itachi had ignored his brother who tussled with a ball of fur.

"Itachi what are you guys _doing _here?" She whispered, just having remembered the hour. Sasuke stood with a triumphant grin and a cat in his hands. She gestured to the animal. "Chasing kittens?"

"Sasuke was very determined tonight." He explained sheepishly. Asami sighs as Sasuke held the wriggling kitten in both hands.

"Look nee-chan!" The raven haired boy struck out his arms, holding the cat before Asami. Her eyes bulged at the wild animal and she took a step back. "I'm just as good as big brother."

"Ahehehe. . . You sure are, Sasuke. . ." She surmised that this would be a night to remember.

The brothers hadn't left immediately, even after causing such ruckus mere paces from Asami's home. She did not bother to worry, aware of her family's heavy sleeping habits.

"What were you doing with all of these flowers?" Itachi reached to brush his digits along the bruised petals. Blood slowly churned within Asami, and set her face alight when he glanced at her.

"Nothing," She huffed, turning to glance at Sasuke, who had been defeated by his fatigue. He lay curled upon the ground with the cat in his arms, sound asleep. "Just couldn't sleep."

He plucked a petal from the grass and settled it upon the surface of the pond. "Shisui's been home more often lately. Getting more rest, I suppose."

It was only the mentioning of his name that sent her heart to erratic beats. At that moment Asami was grateful that her hair veiled her expression, even though he knew about her feelings more than she did herself.

"Have you seen him? How is he?"

Itachi knew this would pull her from behind her mask. He smiled, grasping an abandoned stem. The green extension was used to prod against the pond. "He's well. Maybe someday I will take you to visit him."

Asami's mind went off in a fantasy tangent. She shook her head of loose curls.

He glanced over when she silently protested. "What?"

"I wouldn't want to bother Shisui-san." She said quietly, a hint of a smile at her lips. Though it lessened her hopeful mood, she felt nothing but happiness for him. Asami was glad that he was well, so that was all that mattered. "He needs his rest."

Itachi took a moment to regard her silently before a smile found itself upon his face as well. He admired her selfless attitude.

"I'm certain he won't mind. He might even need your energy."

At this she perked up, looking to Itachi with shining orbs. "Really? Do you think he'd be glad to see me?"

He nodded. "I know so, Asami." Her smile grew.

There was a brief silence, and then a far off sound that was very subtle to the ear. Asami and Itachi glanced beyond their shoulders. A window exposed the glow of light.

"Asami? Asami, where are you?" She recognized it. It was her mother, voicing concern for her absent child. Asami sighed.

"I've to go!" She whispered, clambering to her feet. The girl rushed across the grass by only three paces before the boy caught her by the hand. "Nani?"

"I'll take you, tomorrow." He lessened his grip. "Alright?"

At first she was perplexed, but she found herself smiling, and nodded at his offer. "Yes. But only if I don't get in trouble."

Immediately he released her then. "Go. Hurry."

Asami took off once more, lavender curls trailing behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This story starts in the character's youth, but there's a time skip that jumps to the ages 13, 16 and 20.**

Morning came with a sharp interruption. The lights were abruptly cut on and a shrill followed.

"Get up," A woman with worn lines in her face ordered. "We're scheduled to meet the elders this morning so everyone is to be ready in the next hour."

Asami sprang from her bed in reluctance. She passed a vicious look to her aunt before hastily disrobing. The maids had already filed in behind the shrewd woman, prepared with hot buckets of water and rags. Io, her younger sister, had been at Eru's bed, the youngest, trying to wake her from her deep rest.

"I have no time for laziness," Their aunt sighed. She rushed across the room and quickly pulled the dreary girl to her feet.

"Ah, I'm up! I'm sorry," Eru whined.

Io followed after them, her eyes broad with concern. "Miss Yukiji, please, she's up now - -"

Yukiji ushered Eru crudely to a waiting maid to turn her attention to Io. "Unless I send for you, you are to be quiet."

Io faltered, and in defeat turned away to undress. Once Yukiji turned to Asami, she kept eye contact, but said nothing. It wasn't hard for her to learn that her aunt wouldn't tolerate opposition, but Asami swore that she would pay her back for her cruelty. This just wouldn't be the right time.

The three sisters waited until the harpy left to speak again.

"What a mean old bat!" Io could hardly keep it under her breath. The maids of course remained vigilant but there was a faint smile on their lips. Io's enthusiasm could riddle a corpse in a giggling fit. She lifted her arms to allow a maid to bind her waist. "She speaks as if we woke _her _from bed!"

Asami and their baby sister, Eru, giggled quietly, all turning and twisting in their maids' hands as they were each bound and robed. "You know she knows nothing more than to be that way. Why are we meeting with the elders?"

Io's expression dimmed. She hesitated and fell into concentration of getting dressed. Being the first finished, Eru shuffled over to Asami, who cradled her closely to begin pulling and binding her hair. It concerned her, the silence she received, and millions of thoughts crossed her mind.

Once finished with dressing, Asami carefully sat at the foot of her bed, and kept Eru in her lap, braiding her hair in a quick, but intricate style.

"Well?" She pressed.

Io sighed and swept her hair behind her shoulders. "Warabi, would you mind fixing my hair?"

"Not at all, Lady Io." Warabi rushed behind her and began combing through her long tresses.

Asami could see her struggling to speak. So she remained patient. Eventually as each of the girls were slipping into their socks, Io said, "The elders aren't happy that Maori hasn't had a baby…"

Asami's chest felt hollow. Maori's infertility had been a growing concern throughout the entire house for some time now, and it made tensions horrible to bear. Their parents could hardly look Maori in the eye, and their aunt held no mercy for their eldest sister. She's since sealed off her wing of the house, and rarely made personal appearances. Recently, though, Maori hadn't even been at home. One could never be sure of her whereabouts anymore.

"I see," She replied. Asami decided not to ask any further.

The girls met with their mother, father, and aunt, and all had set out to the family hall. Having been so early, the sky had cast a gray tint over the houses and trees. There wasn't much activity during that hour, save the animals and local farmers.

The commute was a quiet ride by rickshaw. The adults sat together while the girls stayed in their own carriage. They didn't speak much, and eventually they found themselves dosing off, lulled by the emptiness of morning. The Chinatsu Hall was situated in the village forests, west of the main house. It was build among the trees for the purpose of camouflage and exclusivity, and any member called here had to be familiar with the architecture before simply entering. As they pulled to the front, Asami noticed several figures already ascending to the building above them.

"Come you three," Their mother said in her normal, hushed tone. "Stay close to me."

They did as they were told, and followed their parents and aunt who were escorted by an official of the building. There was a pulley system of sorts, manufactured in the hollow of a great tree, and they transferred from the ground below several stories high. When the protective gate opened, the front entrance spread before them. Inside the halls and rooms were decorated in pastel shades and emblems of a wasp queen, with paintings of their ancestors and the wasp summonings along the walls. There was a western taste to the furniture style here. Servants aligned the long hall in a bowing stance as they made their way down.

"You may be seated here," A servant gestured to a row of chairs along a grand wooden table. Despite the family, the room was otherwise empty. They all arranged themselves at the table, leaving one seat at the center for Maori.

The double doors had opened, and in had come four older men, and one older woman. They each sat on the opposite side of the table. As they rose from their seats to bow before the elders, several others entered the room. Asami peeked, and recognized them to be their cousins, who were notorious for having the best fighters and the most children. The woman with black hair and silver eyes had been Maori's competitor, Ado Chinatsu, who was actually Yukiji's daughter. What they most had in common was their resentment for Asami's immediate family.

"I am pleased to see you all here, this morning," One of the elders expressed. "We've been successful in our goals these past months, and I will first say that it is all thanks to the hard efforts of each of you here."

"We thank you, for having us," Asami looked up as her mother spoke. Yukiji threw a grimace to her sister, before picking up where she left off.

"It is a pleasure to see you all again."

The elder woman smiled grimly. "Yukiji, I wish I felt the same. I've seen quite enough of you all for these same issues. I thought we arranged for you to stay with Makoto and Shinji to avoid another call like this." She sighed. When she waved her hand, everyone was seated.

"How many months has it been, since we appointed Maori as lead mistress of the main house?" One asked.

"Four months." Yukiji said pointedly.

"And still, we have no sign of a child?"

Yukiji hesitated. "No."

"So, what is it then? Must we conclude that she is defective?"

"M-Maori will be pregnant," Out came Makoto's voice. In her eyes something wanted to scream, but the feeble baritone of her voice trapped her heart. "She will. She has my blood. She has just been stressed - -"

"But for what reason?" Interjected Ado. She remained collected, but her intention was clear. "She lives in the main house. She has funds at her disposal. Servants. Nurses. Midwives. What could she possibly be in distress about?"

At this Makoto fell silent. Asami read her face, and then her father, who looked as hollow from the outside as he must have been within.

"An absolutely valid point." Yukiji confirmed. She cross-examined each of the elders faces. "I witness first-hand the quality service at the main house. She lives lavishly, even has her own private quarters. I have searched but have yet to find a plausible reason or issue with Maori's health or mood."

"What possibly, then, disturbs your daughter, Makoto?" Asked an elder.

She looked down at her lap. Her defeat was visible, and the others continued without hindrance.

"Well then, we'll certainly have to appoint someone more appropriate," One elder reasoned.

"Yes," Yukiji followed. "My thoughts exactly. Maori has defeated the other candidates, but it is my daughter who has come the closest to besting her. I believe, that with your permission, we may bring Ado into the mainhouse, where Maori will be free to reside where she sees fit. I'm sure she won't have to worry about stressing herself alone."

The elders chattered, seeming to agree with the proposition. Yukiji took this to her advantage.

"Besides, she couldn't even show up to a family meeting." The woman half-chuckled. A burning sensation rushed through Asami. "She obviously doesn't care what matters take place here."

Asami's eyes crossed the table, and met Ado's. They held their stares, and Ado had the audacity to smile while they overheard the elders speaking in favor of the idea. Knowing that it would be Ado coming to live with them drove Asami to madness. She compulsively clenched her hands under the table.

"Very well," Said the elder woman. "We will begin the preparations to - -" She pauses at the sound of opening doors. Everyone in the room had turned around, and in had come Maori. Beside her a woman stood guard, dressed in colorful garments of a foreign territory.

Yukiji and her daughter looked appalled and disbelieving. Maori bowed, then took her position at the table's center.

"Forgive me, everyone. I have not been very well. I slept longer than intended." She murmured. Though she seemed reclusive and frail, Asami saw the air of importance she carried herself with. Her head was high, her posture straight. She looked confident even as the others in the room openly scrutinized her.

"Who are you to think you may enter a meeting, late at that, with an outsider?" Snapped the elder woman. She shook her cane, gesturing to the dark woman who stood by the door. "And who is she? I cannot believe this. Is this how you raise your children, Makoto, Shinji?"

"Please, forgive us, elder." Makoto mumbled, while she and Shinji both bowed their heads. Maori continued to look indifferent. The elder returned her focus onto her.

"Well? Explain this."

"This is Ahulani Keahi. She is my appointed nurse. I have fallen ill due to my efforts to conceive. She has discovered that I have fertility issues, and has come to provide me with the proper fertility treatment for the time she will be here."

"Why is she here now?" The other elder asked. Everyone else had been quietly curious.

"I've said this already," A sharp tone took her voice. "I have been very, very sick since I've been trying to conceive. Our nurses at the estate aren't too well with handling my condition. My husband contacted a very well-regarded medical ninja from overseas. And I've had the honor to appoint her. I ask that everyone respect her for her generosity."

He nodded slowly. "Ah. So, you _have _in fact, been trying to have a child."

For most of the time, Maori's eyes had been focused on the swirling patterns of the table. At his words she looked up at him. "What reasons would I not be doing this? _I _am to carry the next potential Queen."

He folded his hands. "I see. In that case we have no need to rearrange house placement today."

Yukiji's face was red. She couldn't contain herself. "Even after all this time of waiting - -!"

"_Even _after all this time of waiting," He confirmed. His gaze made her recline. "We will wait and support Maori's efforts to be with child." The elder woman whispered to the man, obviously equally infuriated. As Ado fixed her mouth, he lifted his hand. "There will be no questioning this decision, unless posed from _us_."

The other male elder smiled at each of them. "We're happy that this has been resolved. You all may return to your homes."

Each of the members stood to bow, and slowly filed outside of the sitting room. Asami approached her big sister, but paused at the sight Ado crossing her path. She and Maori exchanged long glances, before Ado and her family departed. One of the elders had took her hand, wishing her luck on her efforts, and left as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Accidentally posted a chapter ahead. Fixed now.**

"Who do you think you are? You ought to be ashamed of what you did!"

The shouting could be heard throughout the house. Once they all returned home, they had their meals and later the children were escorted away from the den for bed, where Yukiji, Makoto, Shinji, and Maori sat together. From the room, Asami could hear very little, but knew that a storm was brewing down stairs. She crept from her bed, and took the path out her window to stand on the veranda, where a door was left slightly ajar, peeking inside to see Yukiji throwing her arms around.

Maori remained unmoved, but her patience was waning. "I don't have to explain _anything _to you, Yukiji. I do not adhere to your laws."

Yukiji silently fumed, then suddenly rushed to her, tossing the table aside. "You spoiled, entitled little - - AH!"

Forgetting that Ahulani was ever in the room, it took the others by surprise when she took Yukiji by the arm and braced it against her back. "Now, you all can scream and yell all you need," For the first time she spoke, and her voice was even more intimidating than her demeanor. "But by no means will you invade her private space."

"How _dare _you!" She jerked, and caused herself more pain. "Release me!"

"When I do, you keep yourself in check." She gradually released her, and Yukiji yanked herself a fair distance from her, looking to Maori in her fury.

"I swear on it, Maori," She pointed. "I swear to the ancestors, you will get what you deserve for you manipulative ways."

"Sister, please, stop it." Makoto said desperately.

"You shut your mouth!" She huffed. "I have had it, with all of you. It is me who keeps you in this godforsaken house. I convince our family that you people deserve your privileges. And for what? To be associated with your shame. To be disrespected at our meetings!" She turned to Maori. "You wretched, wretched, bastard child."

Maori's composure was invincible, almost. There was a particular way that she said _bastard_, that hindered her thoughts. "Don't insult me."

There came a silence as Yukiji continued. "You think yourself so special, don't you, girl? You think yourself of noble blood? Of importance? But I know what you really are. My sister, too."

"Yukiji, stop!" Makoto pleaded. Maori looked at her mother in disbelief. Seeing her expression, Yukiji's scowl twisted. "What, she's old enough to know who she is, isn't she?" She slowly looked back to Maori. Makoto rushed to her sister's side.

"Please, sister - -"

"It's a lovely story, actually. The forbidden romance of a commoner and his princess."

Maori was quiet. Her patience had been the only virtue that kept her in place. Her aunt continued, pacing the floor as Makoto used physical means to stop her.

"Your mother was so noble! She got knocked up by some dirty old farmer boy, and when it was time to marry, left him behind - -"

"Sister!"

Ahulani looked at Maori immediate. Her calm demure was merely a guise. She said very carefully, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't listen to her, Maori!"

"I'm _talking _about your daddy, girl," She grinned. "I'm talking about the lies you were fed by your silver spoon in your pretty little mouth."

Maori paused. "You're lying."

Makoto, and Shinji, both had looks of defeat. They couldn't look her in the eyes. Maori's fury filled her eyes. She looked to her aunt, who seemed more than satisfied.

Asami, who sat outside heard the following of crashing dishes and glassware meeting the floor in shards. She shuffled slightly away from the door, unable to escape the catastrophe overheard. Maori was infuriated. She smashed things, screaming in disbelief. Asami was almost as distressed as she was. She knew that their family had many secrets, but nothing so severe. It burned her heart to think her mother could conceal something for so long.

The little girl rushed back to her room, and settled into her bed, with a heavy weight sinking her peace of mind.

A rocking sensation swayed her in the wisps of her faint dreaming. Asami reopened her eyes, quickly realizing that it was still nightfall, and that a shaded figure loomed over her bed.

"Hey," It was Maori. Hearing her voice sent a jolt to her senses. "Wake up. Sit with me, on the roof."

"Wha?" She couldn't believe she woke her up with something so asinine. "Nee-chan…"

But Maori had already made her decision. She gathered herself from the bed and tip-toed to the window. "Come on."

Begrudgingly, Asami slinked out of the warm space of her blankets and trailed behind her. She was sure to be careful, as to not slip due to her blurred vision. Her sister was situated on the slanted roof with her knees to her chest, staring up at the black sky. Thankfully, Asami's room faced the moon directly, and she let it guide her until her vision sharpened. She settled beside her sister, and Maori locked an arm around her.

Asami had expected some sort of venting session. She thought Maori would go off about their aunt, but she knew that the months had changed her considerably. The embrace felt like her sister, but her mouth was sealed. Her hands were like ice. At this moment in her youth, Asami learned to fully appreciate silence in its entirety.

"So, you must know." She broke the quiet.

Asami looked up at her sister. "I must know?"

"That I'm not actually your sister."

"Ah –" She shot up, breaking from her sister's embrace. "But how did you..?"

Maori looked to Asami. She smiled, briefly. "You learned through me about the broken door on the porch. I know all the trades and tricks of this house."

Asami's face turned hot. "Well… it's not true. I don't believe it."

Maori turned her attention to the tree tops of the distant forest. "Don't be silly. You heard it yourself."

"But, you _are _my real sister!" This surprised the eldest one. She saw Asami's expression. In her eyes, she recognized the affliction she was feeling as well. Asami was also angry at her insensitivity. In a way, the little girl woke her from her conscious coma. "You can't just suddenly not be a part of our family! I don't care what that dirty old mop says!"

Maori was frozen. Her body language screamed misery, self-wallowing. But soon she was confronted with the sadness of her sister, and it was only then that she recognized that she wasn't the only one suffering in silence. She was all Asami knew. With her parents rarely injecting themselves in their lives, Maori taught her siblings their moral ethics. She kissed boo-boos and gave lectures. How could she forget how sensitive a creature Asami was?

A smile played with her lips. She bit back the urges, but tiny chuckles fell out of her mouth. Asami was confused, but it fueled her. Hot-in-the-face, she outburst, "What's funny?"

The bigger sister held her stomach, shivering with laughter as her little sister grew more irate. Just as she was ready to hurl her with her tiny fists, Maori hooked her into her arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry. You're right." Her lashes fell low. She clutched her against her breasts. "Nothing's tearing us apart."

At those words her sister began to calm down, sinking into her chest. This was the second time that night, that Asami reintroduced herself to the joy of silence.


	4. Chapter 4

The main house grew tension like mold after a flood. Yukiji seemed far more busy nowadays, running errands in and out of town. Behind Maori followed whispers of horrible things Asami couldn't imagine people would say about her. Even some of the house keepers were less inclined to empathize with the heiress. More and more, Asami felt the grip on her older sister slipping. It was hard for the young kunoichi to sit by passively.

With a bit of convincing, and a white lie or two, Asami left the main house and went on her way to the other side of the village in search for her friends. Normally, the young maidens were monitored by fellow subordinates of the Chinatsu clan, but somehow she convinced her parents that she would be taking an innocent stroll through the park with a fellow kunoichi for the day.

Well, the story wasn't _entirely _false.

"GOT 'EM!" Shouted the ever vigilant Shisui. Having a free day to himself, he decided it was best spent with the others, Asami, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. Though Sasuke struggled to keep up, each of them had taken the task of delivering several stow away pets for the village locals.

Now racing through the park, the four tykes had caught their third kitten for the day, by lead of Shisui. They cleverly creation a four man formation, surrounding the kitten at the ground while Shisui scoured above. Asami had set trap wire cleverly ahead of the animal, and once it rushed against the strings, it was nothing to capture it. Each of them cheered for their hard efforts, and with the animal set in his cage, together they sat to enjoy the peaceful forest. Asami, being the thoughtful, homely girl she was, packed four bento boxes specially arranged for each person.

"This is the fourth time her cat's escaped, you know," Itachi remarked about the renowned Miss Kurani, who seemed to love animals more than they loved her. He bit into another flesh of his dumpling as his brother sniggered.

Shisui couldn't help to laugh himself. "I can't complain. It gives me something to do every spring."

Asami shook her head, quietly smiling as she ate away at her shrimp rolls. Itachi subtly eyed her while they prattled on, and waited to finish the mush of food in his mouth.

"That was a nice trick you did back there, using trap wire at the forest floor," He commented. It threw her off.

Shisui looked at her and smiled. "Yes, that was smart thinking. Very clean. Without that I don't think it would have been that easy to catch the cat."

Asami averted her stare. "No big deal, right?"

"The little things make a difference."

She was quiet even in flattery, and concentrated on eating her lunch.

It wasn't long before the other village kids filled the park to play, and the group had been swept into their array of games, the first being a game of kickball. Asami idly sat on the sidelines, fearing to further scuff her yukata and ruin her chance of a clean get away at home. Though prompted by her friends, Uo Furiko and Itsuki Minamoto, everyone knew that she had no business getting her hands dirty.

Still, it didn't hurt to try once in a while.

A hide and seek game followed, and as it was more friendly for Asami, she opted to be the receiver and counted down as everyone scrambled to hide. Her eyes opened. The fields were clear of noise. She took a moment to focus then sped off.

This game, Asami had practically mastered. Even without depending on her high sensory, her intuition was a force to be reckoned with, even at this age. She prided herself by every find, and even after scuffing her silk fabric she was bouncing through trees, unbothered by whatever trouble she'd face later. As she went further, a rustling sound alerted her. _Another one. _She grinned and stopped at a branch, looking down.

It was obvious that someone had been hiding in the brush below. She felt their energy. But as she listened in, she could tell that two voices were going back and forth with each other. A curiosity took over her. She lithely made it down the tree to tip-toe closer.

"I don't understand why you do this," It was a girl. She sounded distressed. Almost angry. "You say all of these great things, but act like I'm the worst person in the world."

"I'm sorry for that –" _Shisui? _" – I don't mean to make you feel that way. Understand why I keep my distance."

A tremor began at her hands. Asami urged herself further. _I need to do it, _she coaxed herself, reaching for the brush, _I need to see the faces_.

"Shisui, please…" It fell quiet. Asami had carefully leered over and saw Usami and Shisui facing each other. She had her hand on his face, and Asami remembered the glimmer in both of their eyes as they looked at another so intimately. At that age, she could hardly understand such internal emotions, but the jealousy that burned her insides made perfect sense.

From their end, Asami's looming figure was nothing but a mere shadow, and instinctively, Shisui fingered one of his stars and sent it cutting through the air. Of course it wasn't direct, he mostly wanted to give a warning to whoever was lurking. Asami let out a gasp and stumbled back. The two popped from out of the bushes. "What was that? – Asami?" Usami was utterly confused.

Her heartbeat was rampant. She was fighting to catch her breath but it was hard. Her emotions were swelling in her throat and it felt like someone threw dust in her eyes. The girl could hardly control her shaking fists. She looked at the two, and stupidity was all she could think of herself.

Asami began backing away, holding her cheek in her hand as it began to burn. Shisui opened his mouth. She disappeared.

She didn't select a single thought to focus on. Her mind was plagued with a thousand different things and there was no way she could connect with just one alone. Usami used to be no one in particular to Asami, just a girl people constantly compared her to, because they shared a similar name. Who would have guessed that they fell for the same stupid boy?

She ran clear through the village, and just as she was passing the bridge she knocked herself into someone's torso, stumbling backwards. A hand grabbed her by her wrist before she could fall. It was Jin, her guardian.

"Lady Asami where have you been?" He gave her a once over. "Look at your face! Don't tell me you've been playing with those kids again."

She was holding on so tightly to her strength. She didn't want to hear a lecture right now. "I - -"

He had already been pulling her behind him. "This is exactly why we forbid such play. Come! Yukiji won't be happy about this. . ."

They trudged back home quietly. Jin tried to pry more answers out of her, wanting to know if she had been playing with the Uchiha boys, a regular offense of hers. But he shortly gave up once he realized that she wouldn't say much. It took a lot of her to keep herself together. She didn't have the energy to talk about anything.

Once reaching the estate, they met Maori and her guard at the front entrance. She and Jin exchanged a few words, and out of it Asami only heard her sister say, "I'll talk to her." He left shortly after.

Maori waved her hand, dismissing her guard, and stood on the veranda facing her sister. Asami kept her eyes low.

"What happened?" She inquired.

"Nothing." Asami answered.

"You expect me to believe that nothing happened? Nothing at all?"

Asami didn't answer. She trudged up the steps, keeping her head down.

"You can't see them anymore." Maori said, and she paused.

"Good." She disappeared inside the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Days fell to weeks, and weeks, to months. Asami had begun to shut herself in. And with her time now exclusively to herself, she was taken under the hands of Ahulani. It was decided without her council that she would be personally trained in medical ninja care. Maori played a hand in this influence, arguing that she needed to have more intimate sessions of training for the sake of redeeming the clans image. Suddenly, it seemed, Maori had a more acute interest in enforcing discipline on the other siblings. They all had been restricted from socializing, as to provide more time to training and studies.

Asami had kept Shisui out of her head well enough to function, but she lost her animated spirit. She was blindly dedicated to studying and learning medicine. She didn't know who Maori was anymore. And if she wasn't trying to dictate her life choices now, she was hiding away in her wing of the house somewhere. She began to resent her.

A night came where Asami simply couldn't sleep. She tossed around in her bed while the house rested soundly, her thoughts clawing her peace of mind. From nowhere, it seemed, she started to think about her friends again. Itachi, Go, Uo, Shisui. She didn't want to think about them. It was much easier not to. But somehow they broke her mental barrier. She shuffled in bed until she had enough and threw herself to her feet.

_Enough_, she mentally growled, opening her bedroom window. She clambered through and climbed up to the top roof to sit alone and embrace the cold breeze that blew through. For a while, she was alone, but a presence had entered her personal space, and sitting beside her was Itachi.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

Asami sighed. She didn't want to do this right now. "Home, mostly."

"Everyone's been looking for you. We've been worried. Sasuke's been acting sort of paranoid, it's funny, actually." He smiled. It was little use.

"Tell them I'm alive. No reason to worry."

Silence. He waited before starting again.

"Shisui told me what happened," She looked away from him. "He said he was sorry."

"A person who's sorry would say it to my face." She abruptly stood up. Asami had enough. "What's he got to be sorry for? It isn't like it matters. I was stupid, to even think…"

Itachi got to his feet. "Asami, I know you're upset. But we all really miss you. We never see you anymore."

"You wouldn't understand why I have to do this. None of you do."

"Perhaps not, but I would like to try."

She shook her head, and for the first time that they spoke finally looked at him. To see her friend, who was always very dedicated, and loyal, trying to reach out to her, made it hard to speak. But still, she thought it best to faces her vices alone. She felt exhausted. "Please, don't ever come here again."

Before he could protest, Asami limberly jumped from the top roof, and returned to bed.

"Again!" Ahulani was shouting over the stream that divided them.

"For God sakes, Ahulani," Asami huffed in a sweat. "How much longer do I have to keep doing this?"

Asami had been training relentlessly under the care of Ahulani and her sister, Maori. Together, they created a regime for each of the three siblings to follow, however Asami received the brute of the pressure. For that day, she was ordered to practice manipulating her poisonous mist pH levels. And it took quite a strain to manage.

Chinatsu members knew well that their poison balance had to be in tune with their blood levels and other bodily functions in order to survive and be well, and so each member learned early to spare using their toxic nature heavily. Maori, however, was notorious for her incredible pH control and stamina, and felt it imperative that Asami learned her methods as well. Therefore, Ahulani and Maori arranged plantation life for Asami to practice on. At first she went through without complaint, but now, she was exasperated, and very fed up.

"I don't have the strength to keep up with this," She confessed. "I can't do it. Each plant has died so far."

"I decide when you've had enough. Again!"

Asami shook her head. _I wish I was blowing toxic fumes in _her _face instead. _She closed her eyes and concentrated, and then expelled a violet mist from her mouth, directing it to the next plant in line. As the chemical decomposition took its course, she watched as the leaves began to droop and the petals slowly shriveled, but, somehow, this plant did not instantly fall apart. It wasn't in top health, but there was a difference. It could be salvaged.

"Would you look at that... Hey! Look what I did! It's got a fighting chance!"

Ahulani smiled with her arms crossed. "Good job, kid. Let's head back. We're done for the day."

The first thing Asami did once returning home was find her way to a bath. She kept submerging herself in the hot water, simply embracing the plugged silence it created as her muscles soaked in the heat. A year went by and things had become so different. Yujiki was a quiet woman nowadays. Of course she was no saint but at least one did without her attitude every waking moment. With Maori's announced pregnancy, she had little say in household order. Asami and her sisters seemed to always have their hands in something. If they weren't training, they were studying, and attending clan events and ceremonies.

Summer was coming to an end and soon would come winter, then spring. At the arrival of spring, the Chinatsu family hosted tournaments that pit the youth against each other. Its purpose was to reorganize the households. That's how it was decided who lived in the main houses and who would live in the sub homes. Sometimes, it was decided who would be banished from the estates all together as a Lone Wasp, depending on the circumstances. Either way, placement was vital, as it dictated what career paths many individuals would take for the benefit of every household. You had a greater choice if you were victorious in your battles rather than if you lost.

By next year Asami would have to fight for her place in the main house. There had been several contenders who would be training diligently for a chance to take her place, and she knew that she couldn't let her guard down. Though this was family, many of her cousins didn't care about each other at all. They would just as soon play on her naivety for a place in the main house. She had to grow a thicker skin for the sake of herself. Asami didn't care to live in the main house so much as she wanted her freedom. She wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.

"Asami!" It was Io, banging on the door. "Hurry up will you? I'm sweaty and gross too!"

She chuckled, and decided that she was well enough to get out. "Knock yourself out."

The rest of that day was relatively quiet. By dinner time everyone had come together to eat, and over the table discussed the upcoming spring tournaments.

"Do you think you're ready for the spring? Asami? Io?" Makoto asked.

"Yes," said Asami. Io merely shrugged.

Maori raised a brow. "Why do you doubt yourself?"

"I just feel like I should be much greater than I am right now, and I'm not getting any closer." She admitted. Though she focused on her plate of food like it was nothing, it was easy to note that this truly bothered her.

"Not from what I see," Maori attested, and Ahulani nodded. "You've improved tremendously these past months. It is your humility that has brought you this far."

"As well as you, Asami," Ahulani commented, taking the girl by surprise.

"Ah, you think so?"

The wise medic smiled. "Don't forget that we've been monitoring you, too."

Asami merely nodded in appreciation, focusing on her food.

"Well no matter what I'm proud of each of you," Makoto said. From the hall, one of the house keepers approached their mother, bowing to her ear to inform her of something. "… Asami. There's someone at the door for you."

This hadn't been expected at all. She dusted her hands and stood from the table. "Excuse me."

She walked down the hall where the front doors were open, and standing on the porch had been a girl. Before she could turn away and dismiss the guest, she was a foot away from her, and discovered that it had been Usami. Her eyes went round and suddenly a nauseating feeling began to take over.

"It's been awhile, Asami."

She quickly sent the house keeper away and slid the door shut behind her. "What business do you have here at this hour?" What could the girl possibly want? She had the boy she wanted. What else? _Forgiveness? Friendship?_ Sudden emotions came rushing back and Asami feared she couldn't handle it.

"I know that this isn't the best time –"

"You're absolutely right."

"—But everyone's so wary to come and talk to you. We've all been trying to reach you, Asami. Everyone. Uo, Furiko, Itachi, Shisui…"

Asami's lashing tongue withdrew. She stepped away from Usami to collect herself. The girl sat down, letting her legs hang off the edge of the porch. Soon, Usami followed her.

"Itachi says you banished him from coming here."

"I did. None of you are invited."

She winced. "I know I have no right to see you, especially."

Asami knew where that assumption came from. "Don't kid yourself. I don't know you. You don't mean anything to me."

"But, I know that I hurt you."

"What makes you think you have that sort of power?" Though she pretended that this girl had no hold on her, she did, and Asami hated her even in knowing she wasn't to blame for what happened.

"Because he told me. I didn't understand what happened that day, until he told me about your feelings for him. I never knew… I love him, too, Asami. I was fighting for his interest just like you."

Knowing this didn't make her feel better. She didn't understand why Usami would figure that it would. "Well, you won. Have your prize. Why make me go through the rejection all over again?"

Usami looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I just see it in their faces, each time you're brought up. They miss you. We aren't complete without you with us."

"Well did it ever occur to you that I don't want to have to _complete _anyone?" Her voice grew louder. "Did any of you ever stop to think that maybe I just can't act like it doesn't hurt anymore? None of you stopped to ask about how I felt about what happened. Shisui didn't even apologize to me in person but yet he's in _so_ much pain!"

Asami jumped to her feet, and Usami stood, holding her hands to her chest. "A-Asami, please…"

"Why the hell should I care what any of you want? I've got a life to live, I've got burdens on my back. And I was learning how to live without thinking about any of you! But you think it's that simple, to come here uninvited telling me about how _sad _you are? Please!"

A hand fell onto her shoulder. She looked up to find Maori, staring directly at the girl across from her as she cradled her stomach.

"It's time for you to leave, now." She spoke quietly. "Don't ever come back here."

Asami thought she had seen tears falling down her face, but Usami fled before she could be certain.

It took a lot of coaxing to calm Asami down, but once her emotions were settled, she went to bed. And even though she struggled to find sleep, she stayed in bed and kept her eyes shut, refusing to let her nocturnal habits keep her up all night.

As soon as she fell under, noise had shook her out of bed. She was fogged to the world around her until her feet met the floorboards. Someone was sobbing uncontrollably, and it filled the flights of the house. Looking around she found that she was alone, and the bedroom door was wide open. Asami rushed out into the hall where she found mostly everyone, standing alert and with grim expressions. Peering over the balcony, her mother had her face in her hands with her father holding her. As she slowly walked downstairs, she noticed blood patterning the steps.

It had still been night. She didn't understand what it was that had everyone awake at this hour. Her mother and father hadn't been able to even look up as she passed them, and the house workers were too busy scrambling around to acknowledge her. She followed the trace of blood and crying…. It led her to the front door.

Asami recognized Ahulani, who had been walking in direction of the front gates, cradling a body in her arms. Long, black hair fell over her arm and to the ground. Her sister's hand was limp and coated in red.

"Maori!" Asami couldn't stop her trembling. When Ahulani turned slightly to face her, her face was stoic, her eyes were hollow. Asami stumbled back. Ahulani continued on as Maori cried and cried.

Io followed up next to her as she stood, completely confused.

"She says she doesn't know what happened." Io murmured. Eru was in her arms as always, with her face in Io's night gown. "She says the bleeding wouldn't stop."


	6. Chapter 6

Maori was away from home for a solid week before returning. The miscarriage had withered her health considerably, to the point that upon her return she still had been dependent on Ahulani to haul her around.

No one said anything. No one made eye contact. She returned home and shut herself into the vast space of her separate wing. With their sister now at loss, Yukiji returned to power. A few days after her return a meeting was called, only this time, the attendants would be Maori, Yukiji, and the elders. When they returned, it was the same. Maori holed herself up in her quarters, leaving Yukiji to bear the news to the house.

"It has been officially declared that Maori is infertile," She stated before the house. "And we have been ordered to make arrangements by the spring. Come the annual tournaments, Maori will be relocated to one of the other houses, and Ado will take her place. The fate of you three, however depends on your performance at the spring event." She smiled at each of them. "May fortune be on your side."

Ahulani enforced normality within the house. People walked around as if nothing was lost, as if nothing changed. You would only recognize it if you decided to look the people in their face, and listened to how their voices seemed to crack under certain phrases. The medical ninja had took a reluctant Asami out again for training away from the estate. Once again, she had arranged several plants for her to practice on, and lately with her lack of rest, Asami had little will to concentrate.

"You aren't even trying!" Ahulani shouted. "This is a disgrace, Asami. The way you're killing these plants is almost criminal."

Asami's dull stare showed how she didn't want to entertain Ahulani's tough-as-nails antics. She gave a deep sigh before trying with the third plant, with, unfortunately, the same result as before. She started shouting again, and Asami pushed to drown her out until the woman found her way across the stream and stood before her.

"What now?" She sighed.

Ahulani placed her hands on her hips. "I've come to the realization that this planetary life thing has lost its luster. I'm going to provide some inspiration."

"You can't be serious."

The woman grinned. "Oh, but I can. Now come on. Try again."

"But Ahulani, I c –"

"That wasn't a request. _Do it._"

Asami's mouth sealed shut. Though she didn't want to do it, she was tempted to harm her since she was so authorative. "Fine," She gave in. The girl shook her arms and closed her eyes.

An uneasy feeling crept over her. Knowing her subject was alive, no matter how annoying, was far more intense than it was to concentrate on a plant. She began clenching her hands, trying to somehow settle the tensions flooding under her skin.

She let the fumes build up in her lungs only briefly, and released it in a light mist, directing it to Ahulani's lower half. She wanted to keep her eyes shut, afraid to see what damage she might have done, but Asami forced her eyes to open. She needed to see her trainer's face, and seeing the confidence in her eyes made it easier to relax somewhat.

As the mist poured over her, Ahulani's expression contorted, and she noticeably held her breath. The moments ticked by, though there was little that came from her trainer that showed much damage being inflicted. Though still, Asami broke a sweat, and readily stood in wait to save her from the toxins. The smile on Ahulani's face was unprecedented, and Asami panicked, thinking it was a result of exposure.

"Calm down, for God sakes, Asami!" She shouted, laughing at the girl's expense. She quickly leapt over the stream to distance herself. "You did good! It'll need some improvement, but hey, look, my skin didn't melt off!"

Asami's face went hot with anger, but she sighed, deciding against any sort of repertoire. She just wanted to call it a day. "You're crazy."

They returned just as the sun met the horizon. Asami was mentally drained, and hunger was ebbing her every thought. Using their toxic nature meant sacrificing a lot of their own stamina, and with that exchange, they needed to replenish through rest, and carbs. Seeing that the girl was dragging herself by a thread of willpower, Ahulani decided to head into town, and together they sat at one of Ahulani's favored places, Go-Go's Grill and Spirits. Asami wasted no time ordering three different trays and breaking in her chopsticks. Ahulani, happy to see her in good spirits, clapped her on the back with raucous laughter.

"Ah, so that's the key to your heart!" She beamed. Asami was too busy choking down the lumps of food in her throat.

"Do you realize you could've killed me?" She sputtered, quickly following her food with a cup of water.

"You're as dramatic as your sister. Matter of fact, you eat like her, too. Is that a hereditary thing?"

This time, Asami couldn't help a short laugh. She picked up her chopsticks again, picking at her bowl of rice. "Well, actually our people used to use our Toxic Nature very frequently. . . so much that most of our time was dedicated to eating and sleeping to replenish ourselves. So it's more of a 'hive' mentality – we all collectively burn a lot of carbs so we binge eat to compensate for that loss.

But actually," She paused. Ahulani could see a hazy blush fill her olive complexion. "Years ago a lot of the women realized we were getting fat so we adopted the practice of binding. Waist training keeps us at our desired ratios."

"Huh," Ahulani smiled. "So that's what that's about."

"My sister didn't tell you?" She pushed away her second helping. A waiter silently gestured to refill her plate and she nodded. "It's no trade secret." True, their Clan was very private, but their customs were visibly foreign and it went under the scope of everyone's curiosity. Torso binding was the most common practice that everyone knew about.

"No, your sister likes to give away nothing at the illusion of giving everything away."

She quietly stuffed her mouth and nodded in confirmation. "It's how we're supposed to be."

After her fifth serving the two women set back to the main house, chatting along the way about several things Ahulani couldn't completely understand. Asami happily answered. Though it's preferred a Chinatsu didn't speak too much about their way of life, Asami saw no harm in explaining their traditions to someone so close to their household. And it was also interesting, seeing her reaction to a lot of the things she considered relatively normal. It made her realize that the world was much bigger than her clan liked to let on.

Only several yards from the estate, Ahulani's face suddenly fell grim. She stopped in her tracks, and braced her arm against Asami to stop her as well.

"Ah –" Her full tummy squished against her bicep. "Ahu - ?"

"Shh!" Ahulani was staring ahead. Asami shut her mouth and let the surrounding silence fill the emptiness. At first there hadn't been anything out of the ordinary, but tiny voices started to rise, and immediately Asami's sensory system picked up the panic that was coming somewhere not far off. A faded cry was heard, and the women ran together for the main house.

Before they could enter the front gates they had seen the ruins. The gates were oddly curled into themselves, leaving the entrance wide open.

"Someone forced themselves in," Ahulani said roughly. She and Asami hurried in, taking in the damages. Ahulani wouldn't notice it, but Asami had paid attention to the wilted flowers in the yard, the peeling rice paper from the doors, wall paint.

Her mother was at the floor of the foyer, crying, as her father consoled her, or at least tried to. Just as they entered, there was a white sheet upon the floor, with protruding, human features filling it from underneath. . .

"No," Asami said quietly. A nauseating feeling threatened to take over. "Someone forced themselves out."

Ahulani whipped her head in her direction. Her eyes were wide. Asami looked away, and nodded, watching her mother as she cried out repeatedly, "Why? Why would she do this?"

"It can't be. . ." Ahulani rushed up the stairs, jumping the banisters and skipping flights. Asami quickly followed. Not in disbelief, but in distress. Ahulani catered to Maori, but it grew apparent that Ahulani was not much older than her sister; they were friends, and Asami might have been able to accept what has happened, but could she?

Asami landed on the third floor, facing a gaping hole that was her sister's secluded wing of the house. There was so much noise surrounding them. So much distress. The maids were crying. Her sisters were nowhere to be seen. Ahulani was facing the gaping hole, completely motionless.

The lavender-haired girl stood beside her, taking in the mess her sister left behind. She was too afraid to see what Ahulani held in her eyes. It was a sudden, and heavy burden weighing her down. Knowing that she was the official oldest now was something she never wanted in the first place. But now that title was hers, and she had to care after the others, and protect them from people such as Yukiji and the judgmental elders. There were too many thoughts plaguing her mind. She didn't feel as if she were actually there.

She left Ahulani behind, and started back down the hall. There had been several medical ninjas running about the scene. Three in particular had come out of her bedroom, and instantly her heart rate jolted. She rushed over, seeing them hauling a small body on a stretcher.

"Hey!" She rasped. Tears were already pending at her eyes. "H-hey, stop! That's my sister!"

She clawed through the crowd and stumbled over, seeing Io's face. Her eyes were dim. She wasn't moving much, but studying her she could see her chest rising and falling. But there was too much blood, and the left arm that should have been there, had been taken from her.

"Please, miss, we _can't _help her if you get in our way!" One medic said desperately. She slowly stepped backwards, leaving her sister in their care. A fire began to fester in her heart. The empathy that she felt for her sister began to rot away, poisoned by betrayal. Her angry pushed her to search for Eru. When she found her, unscathed but rattled with fear, Eru could hardly speak. She had been crying so much that her brown skin was splotched with red patches. Asami took her in her arms and holed up in their room alone. Silence was a prison.


End file.
